This Family of Us
by angstkitten
Summary: I DON'T OWN! angel, spike, and xan are in a threeway relationship. they have six kids, as follows: Dawn, Abby - xan/faith, Beth - angel/buffy, Chris - xan/anya, Connor - angel/darla, Diana - spike/xan. based on a combo of fics i wanted to write.


11/21-22/2009

Father's Day

The hallway was dark as they made their way through the shadows. A floorboard creaked, and the younger made an exaggerated shushing noise as they froze, listening for any signs of having been detected. After feeling secure in their stealth, they continued. They separated at the end of the hall, each knocking on a different door. From behind one, a girl's voice answered with a muffled "'S too early…"

The boy, with bed ruffled brown hair, was not to be thwarted so easily. He knocked again. Another voice answered this time. "Wha' issit?" Clearly, the girls were too tired to think properly.

"D'ja forget what day it is?" he hissed through the door. After a moment, there was a shuffle from inside the room.

"We'll be right there."

The blond boy was met with a bright- and blue-eyed girl, who hadn't bothered to talk, but simply opened her door. "Today?" she asked. He smiled and nodded and she clapped happily, turning to put on her slippers.

The five children were finally all in the hall together and preparing to put their plans to work, when they were interrupted by a quiet voice.

"What are you guys doing?"

They all stilled for one moment, and then turned to the taller girl. "'S Daddy Day!" the youngest of them supplied excitedly.

"That it is, Dee. Were you guys gonna start without me?"

All five younger heads shook in answer. "We were coming for you, next," insisted the blond boy.

"Good. Because you _know_ you aren't allowed to use the stove, yet, Chris."

"We know, Dawnie," one of the girls answered with a sage nod, her golden ringlet hair bobbing in her face.

Dawn reached down to pick up the youngest of them, and then led the way downstairs. "Remember to be quiet, okay? Since it's Father's Day, they get to sleep in." Dee smiled and held a finger up to her lips with a soft hissing sound, trying to hush her older siblings.

Reaching the kitchen, the six of them started gathering the needed ingredients. Dawn had taken charge, giving quiet directions and preparing skillets to cook eggs and pancakes. She asked Beth, the blonde, to get down the pancake mix from the top of the fridge, and Chris to get the milk out. Setting a bowl and measuring cups on the table, she set the two of them plus Dee to mixing. Connor and Abby, the two brown haired and brown eyed devils in angel disguises, got out eggs, setting a few aside for the pancakes, and started making toast.

As Dawn tipped the scrambled eggs on to a platter, she turned to see Chris preparing to pour blood into the pancakes. "Wait!" He paused, looking at her.

"What?"

"Did you separate some for Papa and us?" Abby demanded. The three making the cakes all blushed.

"That's what I thought," Dawn said. "Besides, I have something special for today, anyway." The kids looked at her curiously, as she pulled out another bowl and separated some of the mix for their non-blood-drinking parent and themselves. Crossing to the freezer, Dawn pulled out a few packets of blood.

"What did you get?" Chris asked. Dawn smiled.

"Human. They oughtta have it more often, but at least I can use the excuse of holidays to gorge them on it."

"They'll like that!" Abby exclaimed. Dawn put one pack in the microwave, and then got down mugs.

"Beth, would you start the coffee?" Dawn then started on some bacon while the boys and Dee watched the blood turn in circles and slowly change shape as it unfroze. Chris hastily stopped it before the timer went off, not wanting to wake their parents.

"Now can we add it?" Connor asked anxiously. Dawn nodded, putting a second pack in. Just as the bacon was finished, the microwave beeped. They all stared at the door, towards the stairs, but they didn't hear any footsteps, so they figured they were okay. Abby rushed over and took out the lukewarm blood, replacing it with the final and still frozen one.

Dawn began making pancakes and asked if they had made cards or gifts. She smiled, listening as they all boasted proudly about the things they had put together. They averted another microwave-beeping-crisis and Beth poured the blood into two mugs, and then put them back in to get hot. Abby carefully poured a mug of coffee, and Dawn finished the pancakes. Chris, Connor, and Dee each produced a plate that Dawn then filled and handed back.

The three eldest, Dawn, Beth, and Abby, each carried a tray while the younger three carried the mugs, and Dawn grabbed the morning paper as well. They were all smiling as they made their way back up the stairs and down the hall. Dawn managed to knock with her right foot, and was answered with a soft, "It's open."

Beth turned the handle and led them in, each smiling brightly. Two of the occupants of the bed were already sitting up, smiling back, and the third was rubbing his eye, blinking, and then smiling. Dawn realized he was playing the part, as his eye patch was already on, but she kept mum to the situation.

"Surprise!" Dee shouted, wanting to run and jump, but restraining herself, lest she spill Da's breakfast.

"Well, I for one, am quite surprised," Papa answered. The other two men nodded.

"So what have you got there, Princess?" the blond asked.

"Pancakes and eggs and bacon and toast and blood and coffee!"

"Sounds nummy, babe."

"This one's for Da. Chrisie's gots yours, Daddy!" He smiled.

"Well, alright. Let's have it, then, Munchie." The children all produced their burdens, being sure that Papa didn't get anything with blood in it, and Dawn handed them each their favorite sections of the paper.

Da smiled at them all, pride and love shining clearly through all the occupants of the bedroom. "Thank you, guys. It looks fantastic."

"Tastes fantastic, too," Papa added through a mouthful of pancake. That earned him a gentle kick from the larger brunet. It didn't hurt, but he made a show of it. "Ow, Angel, what was that for?"

"Talking with your mouth full," he answered, his own mouth full of eggs. The blond simply laughed at their theatrics.

"I'll take them down to eat our own breakfast," Dawn offered.

"You guys can stay," Da said.

"Yeah, but we're hungry too, and I didn't cover the pancake mix. We'll be back."

"With prezzies!" Dee added.

"Yeah, prezzies!" Daddy answered enthusiastically. Papa and Da rolled their eyes at the blond while the kids trooped out.

In the quiet of the room, they smiled at each other, and turned to their breakfasts and newspaper.

"I love them," Spike said.

Xander smiled. "Me too."

"This is human," Angel said, completely off topic.

"No shit, Sherlock."

"Always is, on the holidays. Nibblet likes us to have it."

"I know. It just always throws me off."

Xander rolled his eyes. "More like 'puts you on a better game for two days'. You guys really should be having it more often."

"Yeah, but it's more expensive," Spike complained around his bacon.

"Of course, because we don't have money," Xander said sarcastically.

"There are six kids downstairs that we're gonna have to put through college that say no, we _don't_ have money."

"Shut up both of you, and eat your breakfasts," Angel interrupted. His younger lovers rolled their eyes, going on with the food. After a few minutes, Spike spoke again.

"What do you think the bits got us? I'm hoping for that massage showerhead we've been hinting at."

"You better hope again, because if _any_ of the kids got us that, we will not be having sex under it," Xander said.

"Yeah. Plus, I may or may not have it wrapped up in a box somewhere for you already," Angel added.

"Really?" Spike's eyes were lit up with all the dirty fantasies he was hoping to fulfill with it.

"Maybe."

Half an hour later, Dawn led the kids back into the room, all laden down with gifts and cards. The three fathers quickly found themselves with a bed full of children. They happily read cards and praised gifts, most of which were handmade. Everything had been shoved into their hands and laps at once, but it was easy enough to tell the difference between handwritings and drawing styles to thank the right people.

Xander picked up his last card, smiling at Dawn, and opened the plain white paper to read the message inside. His smile slipped as he stared down at the words, and then he looked back up at her. He couldn't seem to find his own words, or even his voice, and she looked so uncertain of herself. Afraid she would take his inability to speak the wrong way, he quickly shoved the tray still over his lap into Angel, the dishes clinking together and the final dregs of the coffee sloshing about in the cup, and held out a hand to her.

He pulled her close and hugged her tightly. He could feel her smile and the tears on his neck, and he just held on tighter. "If that's what you want, Dawnie," he whispered, finally discovering his voice again. The others all just watched for a moment, before Angel turned to his own card from her. He drew in a short, unnecessary breath and turned to Spike. The blond was still looking at Xander and Dawn on the other side of the bed, but looked at Angel when he nudged him.

He picked up the plain white card that the larger man gestured to, and he felt tears of his own well up. The children didn't understand what was going on, but Beth and Abby managed to realize that Dawn had said something significant in her cards and ushered the others out.

The vampires moved everything onto the floor and pulled Dawn onto the bed. "Nibblet," Spike murmured.

"Dawn, I…" Angel didn't know what to say. The three men just held her, and they all had a small, happy cry.

On the floor, there were three, nearly identical, cards. The messages were written in the center of plain, white paper. It was a simple message, thanking them for being there for her, admiring their abilities with the kids, and asking if she could be included in their family. If she could call them Papa, Da, and Daddy, too.

And from the kisses being dropped on her head, she could easily conclude the answers were three, resounding, yeses.


End file.
